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Mick Nolan - a big-hearted 'cobber' to all SIZE and personality. Combined, they are a formidable asset. So when you have a girth that has earned you the nickname Galloping Gasometer, and your sunny disposition is a people magnet, remembering names can become a problem. Mick Nolan cheerfully circumvented any embarrassing or awkward situations by using the old Australian utilitarian word "Cob" — short for Cobber — to address the legion of passing acquaintances and fans who would greet him in the street or in shops. Almost unfailingly, Nolan, the North Melbourne premiership ruckman who was one of the most popular players in the history of Victorian football, would stop for a quick yarn. So much so a simple walk down the street would take forever, his son Danny recalled. And when asked who the latest "Cob" might be, Nolan would often say, "No idea." Nolan, who died after a short battle with cancer, aged 59, owed his popularity, at least in part, to his build. In an era when most footballers were athletic but brawny, with hairy arms and thick thighs, Nolan had slender legs, like a racehorse, beneath a gut that hung over his shorts. His nickname of the Galloping Gasometer — a reference to the gasometer across the road from North Melbourne's ground at Arden Street — remains one of the game's most recognisable monikers. Fans felt an affinity for the ruckman who made light of his appetite for bacon and beer. Nolan's oldest sister, Toni, bears testimony to his easy nature: she was unable to remember having ever fought with him, which was unusual in a rowdy family of nine children. At club functions, where stars such as Malcolm Blight were expected to get all the attention, there was always a queue of fans waiting to speak with Nolan. His former teammates had to be pressed to think beyond his generous heart to recall football incidents. Brownlow medallist Keith Greig remembered Nolan's bashful smile after the big man had bent down like a wingman to pick up a loose ball and booted a torpedo from the centre square for a goal at Waverley Park; Ross Henshaw remembered Nolan inspiring his teammates during the 1978 preliminary final against Collingwood by chasing down an opponent and earning a free kick. The most common memory, however, was of Nolan's performance against Hawthorn firebrand Don Scott in the 1975 grand final, in which the Roos earned their first premiership. The way Nolan played was evidence of his competitiveness, a trait that was often overlooked because of his affability. (He is pictured above contesting against Alan Martello of Hawthorn in 1975.) |
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